Door operating mechanism



y 1931. B. ROBERTSON 1,804,515

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 22, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l I. B. ROBERTSON 1,804,515

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed 0st. 22, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Q MN W {WW l \p M Q o w m O x w x w mm x v E u m w W N U \N 5 m. m m e D Z n w n. C- n u v Z NW u n u u m m u a m A v 1| m May 12, 1931.

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y 1931. l. 5. ROBERTSON 1,804,515

DOOR OPERATING MECHANI SM Filed Oct. 22, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 $313 v I 7 I (fl-Eton mugs Patented May 12, 1931 arana" 'FFICE IVY- B. ROBERTSON,

or crrenno'r'rn, NORTH 'CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-THIRD TO.

rLoiin M. eR-EsHAMjoF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA Door. OPERATING MECHANISM I .lpplicatien filedfictober 22, 1929. Serial N0. 401,533.

This invention aims to provide novel means whereby the door of a building of any desired kind maybe opened as a person or vehicle approaches thebuilding, the door closing automatically, but opening automatically, also, when it is desired to movean automobile out of the building.

It within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and .to enhance the 10. utility of devices of that type to which the present invention .appertains.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the-invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of'construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes may be made in the precise GIIlbOdlment of the invention herein disclosed, withy in the scope of whatlis claimed, without departingfrom thespirit of the invention.

In'the accompanyingdrawings I Figure '1 :Shows in vertical longitudinal section,- a'device constructed in accordance withtheinvention parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is a fraginjental longitudinal section; p

- Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of .Figurel; I p 30 Figure is a section on the line. 44: of

Figural; I

Figure 5 vertical section showing a modification; I 'F-ig'ure 6' is a vertical section showing an- 35 other modification;

Figure 7 isa cross section on the line 77 of Figure 6.; I V p v Referring to igures 1 2, 3, and 4, the drawings shew'a support, in the form a 40 building 1 of any desired kind. The building l may be a garage or any other typeof structure. I Vertical shafts 2 are located at the front of the buildi-rg l and are journaled in bearing brackets 3 on the building. The ve-rtical'shafts Zsupport doors 4, Two doors are shown, but-it isobvious that more or' U 1 direction. at-28, around thes'ha-fts 2, and the less than two doors maybe employed. Boxl ilre housings .5 are located to the rear oft-he shafts 2 and.entendbetweenthe roofffi and the-fleetwe as bnildingl; ,In h hei 220M119 platform.

ings 5 vertical guides 8 are located. lVeights 9 slide vertically in the guides 8. The weights flare connected tofiexible elements 10 passed over guide pulleys lland brackets 12 supported in the housings From the pulleys 11, the flexible elements 10 extend in a substantially horizontal direction, forwardly, and are wound around the upper portions of the shafts 2, the ends of the flexible elements 10 being secured at 15 to the shafts. k r

A frame 16 extends forwardly from the front of the building 1 and is located on the ground. Atthe forward end of the frame 16 there is a rearwardly and upwardly inclined runway 17. The numeral 18 designates a foldable platform. The platform 18 comprises a rear member 19 located within the building 1 in front of the floor 7 and forming a continuation of the, floor= At its rear edge, the rear member 19 of the platform 18 is pivotally mounted on the frame work of the building, as shown at 20. The forward portion of the rear member 19 of the platform 18 ispivotally connected at 21 to the rear portion of the front member 22 of the foldable platform 18; V Rollers 23-are mountedon the forward portion of the forward member 22 of the foldable platform 18, and ride an "inclined track 24 cairriedby the frame 16, or supported in any desiredmanner, adjacent to the runaway 17,- .the front memberQQ of the platform 18 preferably extending downwardly beneath the run-way 17 a little way, as shown in Fig ure 1 ofthe drawings. V

The lower ends of flexible elements 25 are secured at 26 to the side portions of the member 19 of the platform 18 and are located near the pivotal joint 21 between the parts 19 and Theflexible elem nts 25 extend upwardly and forwardly around guide 311116 752? mounted on the brackets 12. The flexible elements 25 are wound at 28 around the upper portions of the shafts 2 th e flexible elements being secured at 29 to the shafts. 5

The flexible elementsg25 are wound in one flexible elements 10 are woundjin an opposite d r s aa 1.4, e mdthe S afts r -uli f mm 'l o l li d r il i b gage the abutments 37, and the is to be driven into the building, the automobile moves over the runway 17, upon the front member 22 of the platform 18. The said member 22 moves downwardly, and the rollers r 23 move downwardly and forwardly on the inclined tracks 24. The rear member 19 of the platform is swung downwardly, the flexible elements 25 are unwound from the shafts 2, the shafts 2 are rotated, and the doors are ,the flexible elements 10 from the shafts 2, the

doors 1: being closed, and the platform 18 being elevated into the position shown in Figure 1, by the operation of the flexible elements25. v

\Vhen it is desired to back the automobile out of the garage, the automobile is first run on the part 19 of the platform 18, the flexible elements 25 rotating the shafts 2 and opening the doors 4. The doors 4: are held open while the automobile is on the front member 22 of the platform 18, but when the automobile runs out off the front member 22 of the platform, the doors will be closed by the weights 9 in a way which will be understood readily by those skilled in the art.

Although the device described as connected with a garage, it will be obvious that it can be used with a dog house, barn, dwelling, or any other structure for which it is adapted.

In Figure of the drawings, parts hereinbeitore described have been designated by numerals previously used, with the suflix a.

The modification consists in having the flexible elements a and 25a in the form of sprocket chains.

In Figures 6 and 7, parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals previously used, with the suflix 1).

Slide rods are mounted for vertical right line reciprocation in guides 31 on the build ing 1?). Spiral gears 32 are secured to the upper ends of the slide rods 30. The gears 32 mesh with pinions on the shafts 2?) that carry the doors 4?). On the lower ends of the slide rods 30 there are horizontal fingers 34 having movement in slots 35 and in brackets 36 mounted on the rear members 19?) of the foldable platform 18?). There are abutments 37 on the slide rods 30. Compression springs 38 are disposed about the slide rods 30. The upper ends of the compression springs 38 enlower ends of the springs bear on the lowermost guides 31.

When either of the platform members 1912 or 22?) are pressed downwardly by the weight has been shown and of an automobile, person, or any other object,

the slide rods 30 are earned downwardly,

platform,

and the gears 32 operate with the pinions 33 to rotate the shafts 2b and to open the doors 4?).

When the weight is removed from the platform member 19?) or from the platform mem ber 226, the slide rods 30 move upwardly under the impulse of the springs 38, the gears 32 cooperating with the pinions 33 to close the doors.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a building having a doorway, a vertical shaft journaled on the building adjacent to the doorway, a door carried by the shaft, a box like housing mounted on the building to the rear of the shaft, vertical guides located within the housing, a substantially horizontal bracket supported withinthe housing, pulleys within the housing and mounted on the ends of the bracket, a weight located within the housing and slidable in the guides, a flexible element wound in one direction about the shaft above the door and located in the housing, the flexible element extending in a substantially horizontal direction over one pulley and downward to connection with the weight, a platform supported below the door for vertical movement, asecond flexible element wound in an opposite direction about the shaft above the door and located in the housing, the second flexible element extending in a substantially horizontal direction over the other pulleyand downwardly to connection with the platform.

2. In a device of the class described, a buildingha-ving a doorway, a vertical shaft journaled on the building adjacent to the doorway, a door carried by theshaft, a boxlike housing mounted onthe building to the rear of the shaft, a flexible element wound in one direction about the shaft above the door and located in the housing, the flexible element extending in a substantially horizontal direction from the shaft, and thence downwardly within the housing, a second flexible element wound in an opposite direction about the shaft above the door and located in the housing, the second flexible element extending in a substantially horizontal direction from the shaft, and thence downwardly within the housing, a platform supported below. the door for vertical movement,"the second flexible element being connected to the means located within the housing for guiding each of the flexible elements intermediate their ends, and means located within the housing for applying tension to the first-specified flexible element.

3. In a device of the class described, a building having a doorway, a vertical shaft journaled in the building adjacent to the doorway, a door carried by the shaft, a platform'mounted for vertical movement below the door, flexible elements wound in opposite directions around the shaft above the door,

shaft supported for rotation, a door carried by the shaft and located above the platform,

one flexible element being connected to the platform, means for applying tension to the other flexible element, pulleys guiding the flexible elements intermediate their ends, and spaced apart, and an elongated bracket on which the pulleys are mounted, the bracket being carried by the building and being inclined downwardly toward the door, thereby to dispose the pulleys at different heights and to keep the Wound portions of the flexible ele ments vertically separated on the shaft.

4. In a device of the class described, a platform comprising rear and front members disposed at an angle to each other and having their inner ends pivotally connected together, means for pivotally mounting the outer end of the rear member of the platform to enable the ment, a fixed track having a downwardly ina; clined forward edge, a roller journaled on the outer portion of the front member of the platform and movable downwardly along the inclined edge of the track as the platform moves downwardly and flattens, a vertical means operatively connected to the shaft and to the platform for rotating the shaft and opening the door When the platform is depressed, and means for closing the door.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signature.

' IVY B. ROBERTSON.

platform to have vertical move- 

